Flexible waste heat recovery solutions from Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval Aalborg waste heat recovery solutions for engine systems and gas turbines are optimized to suit your power plant’s needs. Whether you want to extract the maximum amount of heat energy from the exhaust gas or only as much as necessary to cover internal plant requirements, we can deliver the most cost-efficient solution. With our cutting-edge boiler technology and vast expertise, you can improve fuel efficiency and plant efficiency overall – significantly lowering your CO2 footprint.
Waste heat is a valuable energy source and offers a unique opportunity to improve your operating economy and reduce your environmental footprint. It can be recovered from exhaust gases from engine and gas turbines or flue gas from industrial processes - recovering this waste heat results in substantial energy cost savings and reduced CO2 emissions.
Energy efficiency plays an increasingly important role in business, and waste heat recovery will ensure that the energy content of the fuel will be utilized more efficiently instead of losing energy into the atmosphere. Waste heat recovery results in:
15% improvement on fuel-to-electricity efficiency in combined cycle
95% improvement on plant efficiency in combined heat and power applications
Recovered waste heat can also be converted into:
- Electricity generation
- Hot water and/or steam generation which can in turn be utilized for
- Process use
- District cooling and heating
- Fresh water generation
- Cooling/heating system
The optimum mix of the above depends on the specific characteristics of the plant, the location, and the energy prices. Our solutions are well suited for both new and existing plants. We are happy to offer our expertise and vast experience related to waste heat recovery in order to help you evaluate the best possible solution to benefit your business.

>1800 WHR boilers in 100 countries
Alfa Laval has extensive know-how and decades of experience with over 1800 supplied landbased waste heat recovery boilers worldwide.
Engine waste heat recovery
Modern engine systems are considerably more efficient than their predecessors, yet much of the fuel energy is wasted as heat. By recapturing this energy and putting it to use, Alfa Laval reduces both fuel consumption and emissions.
Our waste heat recovery solutions for engine power applications secure excellent reliability and long-term high performance.
- Easy installation saves time & money
- Smart technology allows flexible operation, designed for frequent and quick ramp ups
- Effective operation with minimized capacity loss between off-service cleanings
- Vibration and pulsation resistant structure
- Compact design with flexibility for layout adaptation; perfect for retrofit installations as well
Gas turbine waste heat recovery
Gas turbine plants are often designed for flexible operation. In both cogeneration and combined cycle applications, the entire system’s reactiveness to load changes is crucial. The faster the heat recovery steam generator’s (HRSG) ability to respond to the gas turbine’s ramp up in load, the higher the revenue of the plant.
Aalborg heat recovery solution optimized for gas turbine applications offers you a highly efficient system for sophisticated operation. Our compact and modular system is developed for quick installation and maximum uptime, and maintenance is scheduled to match the gas turbine overhauls. Our solutions enable you to start earning faster.
- Designed for fast start-ups and flexible operation
- Optimized footprint and compact customizable layout; perfect for retrofit installations as well
- Modular system design for reduced installation time and costs
- Flexible scope including concept development, engineering consulting and delivery including items from gas turbine outlet to exhaust gas stack
Process flue gas waste heat recovery
Industrial plants often waste remarkable amounts of heat. Capturing and utilizing this energy creates significant earning possibilities and positive impact for environment. With the highly efficient Aalborg heat recovery solution optimized for process flue gas, you can recover and use the waste heat from your industrial plant. The increase in plant efficiency and reduction of emissions often result in payback time calculated in months rather than in years.
This valuable waste heat can be recovered and used for the plant’s own needs or by any other heat consumer, like steam turbine or district heating network. Plant’s own needs can vary from steel sheet cleaning and heating purposes, or heating up fuel and reducing wetness, hence improving the combustion in the kiln and its overall efficiency. However the recovered heat is used, it results in energy savings and improved sustainability.
- Increasing plant efficiency
- Tailored; beneficial especially in retrofit cases and easily integrated without effects to industrial process
- Flexible design & scope and engineering consulting
- Earning potential from free source of energy, selling heat to a neighbor plant or heat network

Steel process
Downstream steel processes, especially reheating and heat treatment furnaces, offer potential for flue gas waste heat recovery even after recuperation.

Cement process
Cement processing is very energy intensive, where a majority of energy consumption is covered by thermal energy (75%), mainly in kiln fuel combustion. Main waste heat recovery opportunities provide hot flue gases from the preheater and hot vent air from the clinker cooler.
Optimized scope of supply
Our solutions are well suited for both new and existing plants via retrofit. We supply solutions with optimized delivery scope according to the customers’ preferences and needs; from main equipment to onsite works.
Our solutions are built with your needs in mind:
- Modular system design for reduced transportation and installation time and costs
- Minimized footprint and compact customizable layout
- Tailor-engineered and optimized systems, designed for fast start-ups and flexible operation
- Flexible scope including feasibility studies and concept development, engineering consulting, and delivery including items from upstream exhaust inlet to stack
- Hot water and steam cycle items including also modularized steam turbine solutions
We support and help you throughout the entire investment lifecycle.
Services
Alfa Laval offers a wide range of services for waste heat recovery systems at land-based power plants. Through regular site audits, together with correct spare parts and training, you not only ensure optimal plant operation but also secure system efficiency and safety.
The Alfa Laval Service Portfolio covers all your needs throughout the life cycle of your equipment — from start-up, maintenance and support to improvements and monitoring services. As our waste heat recovery systems continue to develop, we make new advances available as upgrades, so that you can keep performance at the highest possible level over your solution’s lifetime.
Contact our Alfa Laval Aalborg service team
Learn more about waste heat recovery services
Condition Audit for WHR boiler systems